Turbine-governing mechanism.



PATENTED JULY 24, 1906.

J. WILKINSON.

TURBINB GOVBRNING MBCHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 7. 1905.

PATENTED JULY Z4, 1906.

J. WILKINSON.

TURBINE GOVBRNING MEGHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 7. 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

31 wanton -James MZ/hof? ige. 4.6

, witwzoaeo 4UNITED surge' PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES WILKINSON, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR TO WILKINSON TURBINE COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF ALABAMA.

TURBINE-GOVERNING MECHANISM.

Patented July 24, 190e.

To all whom it may concern:

Be' it known that I, JA Es WILKINSON, a citizen of the. United S ates, residing at Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented new and useful Improvements in Turbine-Governing Mechanism, of which the following is a specification. i

M invention relates to controller means for uid-motors and it consists in utilizing a jet or stream of fluid or liquid under pressure which is so controlled as to create variable pressures utilized' to operate or control the operation of valve means for regulating the fiuidressure supply to the motor.

In etters Patent heretofore issued to me I have shown and claimed the use of a jet of fluid-pressure to control the operation of motor-supply valves, but I there contemplated obtaining a variable controlling pressure by a relative movement of the jet-orifice and the passage or port into which it was adapted to discharge, whereby the impact effect of the jet in creating a static pressure in said passa e could be varied at will.

t is the principal object of my present invention to produce such a variab e controllerpressure by throttling the jet and to ap ly such ressure to controlling the supply valve orva ves of a motor. l

More particularl In present invention comprises a jet-ori ce isposed so as to discharge into a port leading to the cylinder of a valve-operating motor and a needle-throttle device adapted to enter said orifice, and by reducing its cross-sectional area and that of the )iet of fluid to raise or lower the volume of the atter, and thereby vary its impact effect in the port. As 4applied to a turbine to which my invention 1s articularly adapted the throttle is preferably actuated by a speed-governor, which thereby controls the potential of the fluid -pressure utilized to move the valve-piston against a variable resistance, such .as a spring or an opposing huid-pressure controlled by the movement of the valve itself in the manner described and claimed in a pending application, SerialNo. 268,203.

My invention also comprises the details of construction and'arran ement of parts hereinafter more particular y described by reference to the accompanying drawings, in Which- Fi e 1 is a side elevation of a turbine provided with my invention, the turbinesupply valve and the controller mechanism being shown in vertical section. Fig. 2 is a similar View of a modification of my inventhe shellI and inner casing of the turbine formed by the abutting peripheries of the diaphragme, and into this chamber the motor fluid-pressure is admitted through a port 6. As shown, this supply-port is disposed beneath the turbine and near one end thereof. The fluid-supply in the chamber 5 is admitted to nozzle-passages (not here shown) which discharge it against a bucket-wheel 7. The.

fluid-.pressure flows through the turbine in the usual manner, actingv against bucketwheels in the several compartments which are keyed to a shaft 8, supported at its forward end in bearings 9, mounted u'pon a standard 10, resting upon the bed-plate 11, to which the turbine-shell is connected.

The motor fluid-pressure is supplied to the port 6 through a valve-casing 12, having an inletort 13; A slotted bushing 14 is inserte in the casing havingl its slots disposed o posite an annular chamber 15 in the casing w 'ch communicates with the outlet-port 16, registering with the port 6. A plug 17 closes the end of the casing opposite the port 13 and -holds the bushjn securel in place therein.

A hollow slide-va e 18 is isposed within the casing Iand provided with a spider 19, to which a steni 20 is connectel. Thie1 stlem passes through apacking-g an -21 in t ep ug 17 and enters a cylinder 22 through a packing-gland 23 in one of its heads 24. The stem is connected to a piston 25 within the IOO cylinder, which is engaged by a coiled s rinv' 26, tending to move the piston to the le tand closel the valve .18. The cylinder is connected to the| boil-plateI 11 by a standard '27, which holds it rigidly in position relative to the valve-casing 12,'.

To control the operation. of the piston 25, and accordingly the valve 18, I provide a casing 2 8, connected to or formed integral with lo thc cylinder or its hcad 29 and provided with a chamber 3l), which communicates through a passage 3l with the left-hand end of the cylinder and through a passage 32 with a con-- duit 33, which leads upwardly to the turbine. Fluid- )ressure is adnntted through a port 34 to a c iainber 35, which communicates with the chamber through a jet-orifice formed in a {et-nozzle 36, which projects into the cham )er 30 in line with the passage 31, leadzo ing to the cylinder. This jet-nozzle is preferably formed by an externally-threaded plug adapted to be inserted through an opening in the casing closed by a plug 37, suitable threads being provided within the casing, into 2 5 which the plug may be threaded.

The controller mechanism as thus far described would produce a constant high pressure in the left end of the cylinder due to the l unvarying impact action of the jet of fluid in 3o the passage 31, the pressure in the cylinder being substantiallyequal to-that in the chamber 35. The jet of fluid after exerting its impact effect flows out of the chamber 30 and through the pipe 33 to the turbine, where it 3 5 may be used for any suitable purpose. As

shown, it is discharged through a nozzle-passage 38 against the bucket-wheel in the first wheel-compartment, the pipe 33 being shownf connected to a hollow plug 39, mounted 'inI 4o the supply-head 2 and communicating with the nozzle 38. This pipe 33 may be led to any desired point, as the controller-pressure may be utilized in various ways.

To vary the controller-pressure in the cylinder acting against the piston 25, I provide a throttle device 40 in the form of a stem having a needle end. The stem projects through the plug 37, being suitably packed at 41 to lprevent the leakage of pressure from chamer 35. The needle end of the throttle device is adapted to enter the jet-nozzle 36, and it follows that in the same proportio 'fthat the throttle reduces the volume of jet flowing through the nozzle it will reduce the impact effect of the jet in the passage 31 and will corres ondingly lower the pressure in the left end of t e cylinder. A number of tests have conclusively show'nthat the substantially static pressure in the cylinder end and passage`31 6c responds directly to and simultaneously with any throttlin of the controller-jet, so that by adjusting t e throttle I can obtain any desired pressure in the left end of the cylinder. It will be evident that this construction is more simple than those where the jet itself is 6 5 moved and at the Sametime as efficient in its action.

Though the throttle device lmay be moved by han( or in any other manner, I prefer to operate it-through the instrumentality of a le- 7o ver 42, pivoted at 43 and swivelly connected to a vertically-dis osed rod 44. This rod is swivelly connected to one end of a lever 45, journaled in a standard 46, mounted on the shaft-bearing 9, the other end of said lever being operatively connected to the slidin collar 47 of a speed-governor 48, mounted upon a shaft 49, driven by the turbine-shaft. As the governor moves responsive to s eed changes, it acts through the instrumenta ities 8o described to move the needle end of the throttle 4() into or out of the nozzle 36, thereb causing the pressure in the left end of the cy inder to rise or fall. The spring 26 presents a variable resistance to this actuating pressure, and it follows that when the latter is lowered the s ring will move the valve toward its close position until the power ofthe spring and the controlling ressure counterbalance each other, when t e piston will be 9o held stationary. As the controller-pressure rises it will move the piston inwardly until the spring action counterbalances it. The tension of the s ring is preferably so adjusted that under fPiiction-load conditions it will move the piston against the controller-pressure to close the valve and under full-load conditions it will be compressed sufficiently by the controller-pressure to permit the latter to fully open the valve. l v

Referring now yto Fig. 2, I provide a fluidvpressure means totake the place of the spring.

In this construction the controller fluid-pressure is conducted through a pipe 50 from the supply-pipe 51, entering the valve-casing 12, to a chamber 52, formed in a compound controller-casing 53. Two j et-nozzles 54 and 55 act to discharge pressure from the chamber 52 into a controller-chamber 56, which communicates at its ends through passages 57 and 58 with the ends ofthe cylinder 22. The jet 54 is disposed opposite the passage 57, and the jet 55 is disposed opposite the passage 58, these passages beingprovided with flaring induction ends formed by the annular I 15 flanges or lips 59, preferably formed integral with the easing 53. At onev end the controller-chamber 56 communicates with a pipe-.60, corresponding with pipe 33 in Fig. l-and discharging fluid pressure into the turbine. The governor-controlled throttle 40 enters the chamber 52 through a packingland 61 and acts to throttle the nozzle 54. similar throttle 62 passes through a gland 63 and acts to throttle the nozzle 55. This latter 125 throttle is adjusted by the movement of the piston by means of a lever 64, pivoted at 6 5 and provided with an elongated slot 66 at its IlO upper end, which enga es a pin .67 on the valve-stem 20, so that t e lever moves with the stem. Near its lower end this lever is connected by an adjustable rod 68 to the llower end of a bell-crank lever 69, the other end of which is swivelly connected to the throttle 62. A turnbuckle 70 in threaded engagement with the two parts ofthe rod 68 enab es an adjustment to be effected which will cause the throttle 62 to raise and lower the pressure in the right end of the cylinder in a manner corresponding with the varying power exerted by the spring. I provide a` valve 71 in pipe 50 to cut ofi the supply of controller fluid rassure. Similar means may be used in t e-constructi'on shown in Fig. 1.

The application which I have first specifically described embodies my invention in its preferred form; but as it may be variously modified within the broad scope of my invention I do not desire to be limited to the details shown.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to protect by Letters Patent, isv

1. In a valve-controlling mechanism, the combination of a valve, means for operating said valve by fluid-pressure, means to create.

said valve-operating pressure by dischar i'ng a jet of fluid-pressure into a closed cham er, and means to vary the volume of said jet to control said operating pressure.

2. In a fluid-motor, the combination of valve means to vary its supply of fluid-pressure and fl'uid-pressure-controller means for said valve comprisin devices for delivering and throttling a jet o? iiuid, and means coperating with said jet to reduce variable pressures which control t e operation of saidv valve means.

3. In a Huid-motor having a su ply-valve, the combinationl therewith of a huid-motor i to control the operation of said valve, means utilizing the impact action of freely-owing fluid under pressure against a substantially f static bod of fluid in said motor to establis pressure t erein, and means to vary said latter pressure b regulating the volume of the controller fiui -pressure.

4. In a fluid-motor, the combination with a valve, of a motor for operating said valve comprising a piston and cylinder, fluid impact means utilizing a jet of fluid to create pressure -in said cylinder, means to throttle said jet, and means to resent a variable resistance to the action o said pressure against said iiston.

'5.' n a fluid-motor, the combination of a piston-actuated valve, a cylinder for the iston, a single port at one end of said cylin er;1

means to discharge a jet of fluid throu h said port into said cylinder, means to t ottle said jet, and means, such as a spring, against which said cylinder-pressure acts iii moving said piston.

6. In a fluid-motor, the combination of a valve, a piston operativel connected to said valve, a cylinderfor sai piston, means to create pressure in oneend o said c linder by the impact action of a jet of flui -pressure, governor-controlled means to throttle said Jet, and means to resist with variable power the action of said cylinder-pressure on said piston.

7. In a Huid-motor, the combination of a liuid-pressure-controlled valve, means utilizing the impact effect of a jet offluid under pressure 'to control the operation of said valve, said means comprising a stationary jet-nozzle, and means to vary the cross-sectional area of said nozzle, as and for the purposes described.

' 8. A controller mechanism for a motorvalve comprisin a cylinder, a piston operatively connecte to the valve, a controllerchamber communicating with an end of said cylinder, a-stationary nozzle adapted to disc arge a jet of fluid into said chamber which jet acts with impact effect to create pressure in said cylinder, a device adapted to throttle said nozzle, and governor means to actuate said device. .v

9. A controller mechanism for a motorvalve comprisinor a cylinder, a piston operatively connected to the valve, a controllerchamber communicating with an end of said cylinder, a stationary nozzle adapted to disc arge a jet of fluid into said chamber which jet acts with impact effect to create apressure in said cylinder, a device adapted to throttle said nozzle, governor means to actuate said device, and variable-power means to resist the action u on said piston of the pressure in said cylin er.

10. In a turbine, a fluid-supplT valve to regulate the admission o the turbine, a fluid-motor to operate said valve, a controller-nozzle to create a valveactuating pressure in said motor, a governorpassage, a

controlled throttling device coperating with said jet to regulate the said. actuating-pressure, and a coiled spring which acts as a variable resistance to op ose the action of the' motor in operatinglsai valve.

In testimony w ereof-I have hereunto set my hand in4 presence of two subscribing Wit- JAMES WILKINSON. Witnesses:

WILLIAM P. NoLAN, .JAMES H. NoLAN.

pressure to IIO 

